


Continued Loyalty

by hornblowerfic_archivist



Category: Hornblower (TV), Hornblower - C. S. Forester
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-02-12
Updated: 2004-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:35:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6273604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hornblowerfic_archivist/pseuds/hornblowerfic_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Horatio and Bush meet up in "Loyalty", Horatio has some conflicting thoughts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Continued Loyalty

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Versaphile, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Hornblowerfic.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Hornblowerfic.com). Deciding that it needed to have a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in January 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact the e-mail address on [Hornblowerfic.com collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hornblowerfic/profile).

It wasn't as if they'd spent a long time debating the pros and cons of it before jumping in. And in retrospect, William thought, perhaps they should have. Horatio was at the window when he woke, staring out, chewing on his lip. "Horatio?"

Horatio came over and sat on the edge of the bed they'd shared. "I'm sorry, William. I'm sorry, but I think perhaps. . . this was a bad idea."

William nodded, wishing it weren't true, but he'd known that Horatio had reached that conclusion before he spoke.

"It's not that I don't care for you. I do. Deeply. But, I feel like I'm being disloyal."

William nodded, hoping the dark hid his hurt. "The young lady. . ."

Horatio looked up, confused, for a second. "Maria? No." He took a deep breath. "No, it wasn't her I was thinking of."

And then all at once William understood. He sat up and took Horatio's hand. "He is gone, Horatio. I would do anything for it not to be so, but it is."

Horatio nodded. "I know." Horatio took a shuddering breath and William could see the tear tracks on his cheeks in the moonlight. "He never felt worthy of devotion," he finally whispered. "Never felt worthy of being loved."

William pulled Horatio against his chest, clear in his mind his talk with Kennedy while they'd kept watch so Horatio could sleep for a few hours during Captain Sawyer's ridiculous punishment for a crime Horatio hadn't committed. "He may not have felt worthy, Horatio, but he knew he was."


End file.
